reliability

Servant Team Training : Servant Team Training Reliability of the Bible
3 Main topics of the Bible : 3 Main topics of the Bible I. The Historical Evidence II. Inerrancy III. Archaeology
I. Historical Evidence : I. Historical Evidence The Bible is tested like any historical document. Internal Evidence Test External Evidence Test
A). Internal Evidence : A). Internal Evidence Asks, “Does the text agree with itself? Are its claims consistent?”
The Bible claims to: : The Bible claims to: Be “The inspired Word of God”. Have a credible account of the life of Jesus. Have fulfilled Prophecy
1. The Bible claims to be the Inspired Word of God. : 1. The Bible claims to be the Inspired Word of God. “Inspired”- means “God - breathed” It refers not to the writers, but to what is written.
Slide 7: II Timothy 3:16- “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” II Peter 1:20-21- “But know this first of all , that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
Slide 8: God used each writer, in his own style, to write according to His will.
2).The Bible claims to be the credible account of the life of Jesus. : 2).The Bible claims to be the credible account of the life of Jesus. II Peter 1:16- “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses to His majesty.”
Historical Evidence : Historical Evidence Acts 2:22- “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know.” John 20:31 “…but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”
3). Fulfilled Prophecy : 3). Fulfilled Prophecy One of the greatest proofs that the Bible is the Inspired Word of God. The Bible demonstrates knowledge of the future by the foretelling of persons, places and events. The prophesies in the Bible are not vague generalities but rather specific in their detail.
Slide 12: Messianic Prophecy: Born of a Virgin (Is. 7:14/Mt 1:18-25) Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2/ Mt. 2:1) Life, Death, ministry of the Messiah Current Rebirth of Israel (McDowell, New Evidence p.193)
Peter Stoner (statistician) from Science Speaks : Peter Stoner (statistician) from Science Speaks “We find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.” (pp.100-107).
Historical Evidence : Historical Evidence A). Internal Evidence- 1. Inspired Word of God 2. Credible life of Jesus 3. Fulfilled Prophecy B). External Evidence-
B). The External Evidence : B). The External Evidence Checks to see if there are other reliable sources that confirm the internal testimony of the documents.
Slide 16: List of authors who writings confirm the reliability of the Bible or mention Jesus or the formation of the early church.
Slide 17: Eusebuis, Ecclesiastical History III.39,(130 AD) Iranaeus, Bishop of Lyons, Against heresies (180AD) Clement of Rome (95AD) Ignatius (70-110AD) Polycarp (70-156 AD) Flavius Josephus (30-100AD) Tatian (170 AD) Cornelius Tactius (Annals of Imperial Rome) and the list goes on…. (Case for Christ p.104-108)
Craig Bloomberg DCC 2002 : Craig Bloomberg DCC 2002 Says: “ A dozen non-Christian sources that mention that Jesus of Nazareth did exist. They claim and say- Jesus of Nazareth worked miracles and cast out demons. -Believed to be the Messiah -Crucified -Raised from the dead Founder of a religious movement that kept growing. Read book: Robert E. VanVoorst “Jesus outside the New Testament”.
1st Generation Christian History : 1st Generation Christian History The local leaders, places,practices that are mentioned in the book of Acts and in Paul’s letters are all confirmed and documented by non-Christian sources.
3 Main topics of the Bible : 3 Main topics of the Bible I. The Historical Evidence II. Inerrancy III. Archaeology
II. The Bible is Inerrant : II. The Bible is Inerrant Inerrancy- refers to the reliability of scripture.
Slide 22: The Bible is unique Written over 1,600 years ago More than 40 authors 31 languages Amazingly unique, One story,One problem, One solution.
Josh McDowell said: : Josh McDowell said: “The Bible has 40 authors written over a period of 1,500 years. Not by authors with the same education, culture, and language, but vastly different education, many different cultures and from 3 continents with 3 different languages and about 100 subjects…And yet the Bible is a Unity.”
The Bible is Inerrant : The Bible is Inerrant Over 25,000 manuscript copies of portions of the New Testament. Few remaining manuscripts of Hebrew Old Testament. Quality of manuscripts- 99.5% accuracy Time span within 25 yrs. (McDowell- Demands a Verdict, p.34)
Dead Sea Scrolls- : Dead Sea Scrolls- -Found in 1948 in caves along Dead Sea. -These scrolls were manuscripts 1,000 years older than any in previous existence. Scrolls written by- Jews who lived at a place called Qumran from 150 B.C to A. D. 70. -Scrolls were fragments of almost every Old Testament book.
Slide 26: Between 30 to 60 years after the life of Christ the Gospels were written. Meaning that : there were still eyewitnesses alive that could have challenged the claims about the life of Christ….but they didn’t.
Faithful Historian who wrote : Faithful Historian who wrote Luke 1:1-4 “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”
The Bible is Inerrant : The Bible is Inerrant In comparison: Homer Iliad is 2nd with only 643 manuscripts that still survive. (McDowell, Demands a Verdict, p.34)
John Warwick Montgomery says: : John Warwick Montgomery says: “to be skeptical of the resultant text of the New Testament books is to allow all classical antiquity to slip into obscurity, for no documents of the ancient period are as well attested bibliographically as the New Testament.” (McDowell, Demands a Verdict, p. 35)
The Encyclopedia Britannica says: : The Encyclopedia Britannica says: “When the textual scholar has examined the manuscripts and the versions, he still has not exhausted the evidence for the New Testament text. (EB, VOL 3, 579-McDowell- Demands a Verdict, p. 43)
3 Main topics of the Bible : 3 Main topics of the Bible I. The Historical Evidence II. Inerrancy III. Archaeology
III. Archaeological Evidence : III. Archaeological Evidence 2 Pools in Jerusalem Pilate inscription Man crucified with ankle nails (1968) “Jesus Boat” (1980) Temple site in Jerusalem Caiaphas’ tomb (1990’s)
Slide 33: William Albright, a world renowned archaeologist and professor at John Hopkins states, “ There can be no doubt that archaeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of the Old Testament tradition.” (Archeology and the Religions of Israel, p. 176)
Slide 34: In another place, he adds, “Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of innumerable details and has brought increased recognition to the value of the Bible as a source of history.” (The archaeology of Palestine, p. 127-128).
Slide 35: Right now there is the most evidence that the Bible is reliable -more than there has ever been in time.
3 Main topics of the Bible : 3 Main topics of the Bible I. The Historical Evidence II. Inerrancy III. Archaeology
Slide 37: Order books of scholarship online -More Than A Carpenter -available for free
Reliability of the Bible : Reliability of the Bible Denying that God is real takes more faith than believing in Him. For everyday man is confronted with the reality of God and his own need for Him.
Servant Team Training : Servant Team Training Reliability of the Bible
Further Study : Further Study Introductory: Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998). Josh McDowell, The New Evidence- That Demands a Verdict (Here’s Life Publishers: 1981- Campus Crusade for Christ). Jeffrey L. Sheler, Is the Bible True? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999). Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., The O.T. Documents: Are They Reliable and Relevant? Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2001). Craig L. Blomberg, the Historical Reliability of the Gospels (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1987). Michael J. Wilkins and J.P. Moreland, eds., Jesus Under Fire (Grand Rapids:Zondervan, 1995).
Further Study : Further Study More Advanced: - William G. Dever, What Did the Biblical Writers Know and When Did They Know it? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001). Craig L. Bloomberg, The Historical Reliability of John’s Gospel (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002). Colin Hemer, The Book of Acts in The Setting of Hellinistic History (Tubingen: J.C.B. Mohr, 1989). Robert E. VanVoorst, Jesus Outside the New Testament Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001).